Songo Mnara
| Songo Mnara Ruins | |
|---|---|
Inside the Main Building | |
| Type | Settlement |
| Location | Kilwa District, Lindi Region, Tanzania |
| Coordinates | 9°2′58″S 39°34′2″E / 9.04944°S 39.56722°E |
| Built | 9th century |
| Architectural style(s) | Swahili architecture |
| Governing body | Antiquities Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism |
| Owner | Tanzania Government |
| Official name | Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii |
| Designated | 1981 (5th session) |
| Reference no. | 144 |
| UNESCO Region | Africa |
| Endangered | 2004–2014 |
| Official name | Songo Mnara Ruins |
| Type | Cultural |
Songo Mnara is a historic Swahiili settlement located in Songo Mnara Island in Pande Mikoma, Kilwa District in Lindi Region of Tanzania. The island is home to a Medieval Swahili stone town. The stone town was occupied from the 14th to 16th centuries. Songo Mnara has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the nearby stone town Kilwa Kisiwani. In total, archaeologists have found six mosques, four cemeteries, and two dozen house blocks along with three enclosed open spaces on the island. Songo Mnara was constructed from rough-coral and mortar. This stonetown was built as one of many trade towns on the Indian Ocean. The site is a registered National Historic Site.